|
|
|
A Quick Guide To Climbing Mount Kinabalu
The majestic and awe-inspiring Mount Kinabalu is one of the premier destinations for thousands of visitors to Sabah, Malaysian Borneo each year. Kinabalu National Park, a designated World Heritage Site, boasts an estimated 4,500 species of plants...
AC Adapters - Know Where You Are Going!
So you’ve got the plane tickets, packed all the things that you need, but did you know that if you are going to another continent - or even just another country - you may need ac adapters to plug in any electrical items you may have packed. Without...
Invasions of Mallorca
The island of Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic chain, which lies off the eastern Mediterranean coast of Spain. Thanks to its rugged topography, balmy climate, and old world architectural charm, Mallorca has been a favorite of European...
MALAYSIA: An Asian Retirement Paradise
Asia's best-kept secret for expatriates, Malaysia has a vibrant mix of foreign and indigenous tribal cultures, creating a veritable melting pot of peoples, traditions and religions. A sizable enclave of foreigners (Brits, Americans,...
Successfull travel is not just cheap plane tickets
Planning ahead when traveling can save you so much time. Simple things such as trying to find cheap plane tickets is obvious, but researching your selected place of travel is the most important thing you can do to ensure a fantastic holiday or...
The Ultimate Traveler's Day Dream Come True
More than a few times, I've caught myself sitting at work day dreaming about dropping everything and just jumping on a plane. In October of 2003, I did just that.
Life can grind you down when you get in a rut. In my case, I had a particularly bad...
There Is More To Pasadena California Than The Rose Parade
Every New Year's Day, except when that holiday falls on a Sunday and the Rose Parade is held on January 2nd, millions of viewers around the world enjoy the Rose Parade and think about Pasadena, California. The citizens of Pasadena are justly proud...
Tips For A Vacation That Is More Fun And Less Expensive
Just about everyone loves to travel, and travel is one of the
most intriguing and fun activities one can engage in. Travel
provides the remarkable ability to see the world from a whole
new perspective, and I for one believe that if people...
Travel Asia: Festivities and Fun
Travel Asia: Festivities and Fun Are you planning to travel to Asia within the next year, and are looking for some fun festivities to attend? Well, look no further – we’ve researched some of the more incredible Asian festivals for you to check out...
What You Need To Know About – Cruise Holidays
Are you tired of the hustle and bustle of driving, sitting erect in a plane etc., go for a voyage through water- a cruise which provides you the best comfort and sight seeing. Sea journey has its own charm and charisma. The world seems a live...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Serengeti Safari - Memories and Miscommunications
The scene before me could be matched nowhere else on earth.
Parched yellow grass spread out before us as far as the eye
could see - broken only by the occasional umbrella tree and a
few hundred thousand migrating wildebeest forming a dusty, thin
gray line on the horizon to the north. As the sun pounded down
from overhead, heat vapors danced up from the ground. This was
the Serengeti - a place with no equal!
Nine days earlier my six-year-old son, Jerry, and I had arrived
in Arusha, a beautiful Tanzanian 'metropolis' and the main
jumping off point for those wishing to book budget safaris. As
with all visitors, the word of our arrival spread like wildfire.
By dinner the first night, three of Arusha's tour operators were
courting us. By breakfast our journey was booked.
Two days later we were off. Nothing was left to chance. A jeep,
driver, cook, tents, water (though I felt it best to bring my
own) and park permits, were to be provided for us as part of our
safari package.
WILDLIFE ABOUNDS
Five days of photographic heaven followed. Tanzania's best: Lake
Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge all were our
playgrounds. Each was an oasis offering its own unique landscape
and unimaginably diverse wildlife. Finally, as I looked over the
edge of Ngorongoro I put my camera down. No photo could do it
justice. Those who do not venture there will just never know!
All this grandeur, and still the place of my calling, the
Serengeti, was ahead. This was the safari I had dreamed of.
An inconspicuous signpost in the middle of nowhere marked our
arrival at my 14, 763 square km. field of dreams. We had four
days to spend in the Serengeti. Yet, within twenty minutes
giraffes galloped past in their slow-motion way. Playful zebras
danced in dust storms of their own creation. Nearby, lionesses
lovingly groomed playful cubs. This life long fantasy achieved
was all laid out for our film to capture. What more did we need?
I know we needed a drink of water. I reached, I looked, I
counted, one! There was one bottle of water alone in its box.
Next, I added. Two people, six days out, three days left, 13
bottles of water gone. I suspected a flaw in the plan. With
little choice, I begrudgingly surrendered the last bottle of
'good' water to my progeny. I would drink the questionable water
provided by the safari operator the rest of the trip. Why not?
After all, It was a safari.
An hour later, still roasting in our jeep, we photographed an
incredible golden lion as he lazed in the mid-day sun. This
magnificent beast was obviously oblivious to our presence. His
bed, a gigantic reddish brown termite mound standing over three
feet high, could easily have slept two more.
FRUSTRATION MAKES AN APPROACH
Inspired, and thirsty, it was time to go forth with the courage
of that lion and consume the mystery water. Thomas, my driver,
was a spotlessly tidy, smartly dressed, obviously well washed
and well-watered fellow. As I approached, he flashed his perfect
smile and asked what I needed. Water I replied. Thomas looked
'off.' "Ninataka maji ya kunywa" I tried. (attempting Swahili
for I need drinking water) Ah, Thomas replied, "Maji hapana"
(meaning no water). I tried English again. We still had no
water.
I am sure my body temperature rose five degrees as I tried to
figure out why Thomas had not brought any water from camp that
day. Then, it rose another eight degrees while I tried to figure
out why he did not need to drink anything. Oh well, we would
soon return to camp where I would indulge in all the beige
colored water I could ever hope for. I decided to tough it out.
Se la vies. We were on a safari.
As evening approached, we relaxed in the shade near a water
hole. The sweet sent of cool water filled the air. The emerald
green pool shivered ever so slightly with each twitch of a
hippo's ear. When the sun sank low, the parched orange horizon
beckoned for one last snapshot. It was time our crew headed for
camp.
Meanwhile, back at the camp, our cook had dinner ready and
waiting. Before the Jeep stopped my door was open. I approached
him parched, "maji ya kunywa?" I said. He responded, "maji
hapana." "I mean water," I regrettably snapped. "You must have
some to drink!" Both Thomas and the cook shook their
heads 'no'
and looked at me as if I was crazy for thinking anyone would
have water in the bush. Didn't I know I was on safari?
Not being parent of the year, I took my sons water - some of it
anyway. We put the rest away for morning.
CONTEMPLATING THE SITUATION
I sat grudgingly at dinner watching my son, my driver and my
cook, all laughing together on the man side of the camp. As a
zoologist, I knew they had to have water, didn't they? Just how
stupid did they think I was? Then the questions swam through my
mind. How could we stay out here nearly three more days without
any more water? What happened to the water the Tour Company
agreed to send? What did the cook cook with? How was Thomas
staying so freaking clean? If I killed my offspring and took his
water, do they extradite me or would I stand trial in Tanzania?
And, just how stupid did they think I was?
That night I sat by the fire under the most brilliantly lit sky
I have ever seen. I sat speaking to Thomas, explaining that Homo
Sapiens consumed water. It was a necessity! It was a fact! He
didn't buy it for a second. Ultimately, I gave up. I told my
crew we would have to return to Arusha the next day. Had I been
alone, I would have risked death by dehydration for one more
day, but the PTA frowns on this sort of thing. Obviously annoyed
by my insane whims the guys turned in.
The remainder of the night was dedicated to reflecting on days
past, on our incredible experiences and on something else -
something odd. The previous morning while we drove through a
dust-ridden wallow, we had approached a Maasai Warrior walking
barefoot through the grasslands. Thomas pulled near to ask of
cheetahs and such. As they spoke, I eyeballed this magnificent
looking man who leaned against the front of our jeep. His long,
twisted strands of hair were red with ocher and draped elegantly
down his perfectly built back. He wore the traditional red
Maasai fabric that was slightly tattered. In his right hand was
a spear, pointed at both ends. In his left hand was the less
traditional orange Fanta. Yes, I did a double take. It remained
an orange Fanta. Thinking back, I recalled droplets of
condensation. I was sure it was cold. I could not even come up
with H2O, well enough a refreshing sugary beverage. Was I
hallucinating? Was I even on safari?
VANISHING THROUGH THE BUSH
The sweltering heat of morning came all to soon. Breakfast with
thick condensed milk, missed the spot completely and reconfirmed
my decision to leave. The cook and I began to pack up camp.
Jerry and Thomas (Tom and Jerry?) wandered into the bush
together long before the work was finished - surprise! Whenever,
I started any project the men tended to fade into the trees. In
fact, completing the task at hand, I realized my
moisture-retaining chef had vanished. An hour later no one had
returned.
I was guarding our waterless belongings from a troop of
misschevious baboons and could not go in search of my three
self-osmoting delinquents. Besides, If the men perished, it
would prove to them my theory that they needed water to live.
Ha! I would be vindicated! Ritchesness would prevail! Thus
instead, I sat filming my new found primate friends. After all,
I was still on safari?
Half an hour later the guys emerged from the bush, talking
casually as they slurped on their strawberry Fantas. My mouth
dropped. Jerry nonchalantly pointed off behind them as he passed
and asked, "Mom, why didn't you came to the soda stand with us?
You could at least have gotten some bottled water."
I stood defining dumbfounded! Were they slurping away each time
they vanished? What was a soda stand doing in the middle of...?
Why hadn't someone just said it was...? Ah..? Was there a
Denny's in there as well? How silly of me to have expected them
to mention this. Auuuuuug! Hadn't I realized I was on a safari?
About the author:
Zoologist turned satirist Nola L. Kelsey is the author of Bitch
Unleashed: The Harsh Realities of Goin' Country and coauthor of
the political satire Keeping the Masses Down. Her newsletter,
Nomadic Muse, is tracking Kelsey's escape from South Dakota
normality to her life as a shoestring backpacker in SE Asia.
Subscriptions to Nomadic Muse are available via,
http://www.nolakelsey.com
|
|
|
|
|
|